Appreciative Heart

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    The Appreciative Heart

    Rollin McCraty, Ph.D.HeartMath Research Center, Institute of HeartMath

    Doc ChildreQuantum Intech

    The Psychophysiology ofPositive Emotions and Optimal Functioning

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    Copyright 2002 Institute of HeartMath

    All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted

    in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

    recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without

    permission in writing from the publisher.

    Published in the United States of America by:

    Institute of HeartMath

    14700 West Park Ave., Boulder Creek, California 95006

    831-338-8500

    [email protected]

    http://www.heartmath.org

    HeartMath Research Center, Institute of HeartMath, Publication No. 02-026.

    Boulder Creek, CA, 2002.

    Cover design by Sandy Royall

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    The Appreciative Heart:The Psychophysiology of Positive Emotions and Optimal Functioning

    Rollin McCraty and Doc Childre

    In daily lie, sometimes people use the word appreciation and sometimes the word

    gratitude without much thought about which is most appropriate. Use whichever word

    that means the most to you, based on your culture, upbringing, or personal preerence,

    because its the heart eeling behind the word and intent that counts. I youre coming

    rom your heart, whether you describe it as gratitude or appreciation, it represents the

    same spark o spirit and care and has the same eectiveness. In the research lab, whether

    youre radiating appreciation or gratitude, it creates the same coherence and benets to

    yoursel and your environment.

    Doc Childre

    Throughout history and across diverse cul-tures, religions, and spiritual traditions, the heart

    has been associated with spiritual infux, wisdom,

    and emotional experience, particularly with re-

    gard to other-centered, positive emotions such as

    love, care, compassion, and appreciation. Current

    research provides evidence that the heart does

    indeed play a role in the generation o emotional

    experience, suggesting that these long-surviving

    associations may be more than merely metaphori-

    cal. In this paper, we discuss a model o emotion

    that includes the heart, together with the brain,nervous, and hormonal systems, as undamental

    components o a dynamic, interactive network rom

    which emotional experience emerges. Further, we

    review research that has identied new physiological

    correlates associated with the experience o heartelt

    positive emotions, with a specic ocus on apprecia-

    tion. We then describe several heart-based positive

    emotion-ocused techniques designed to help people

    sel-induce and sustain states o appreciation and

    gratitude as well as other positive emotions. Finally,

    HeartMath Research Center, Institute of HeartMath, Publication No.02-026. Boulder Creek, CA, 2002.

    An abbreviated version of this paper is published as chapter inThe Psychology of Gratitude, edited by Robert A. Emmons andMichael E. McCullough. New York: Oxford University Press, in press(Summer 2003 release).

    Address for correspondence: Rollin McCraty, Ph.D., HeartMathResearch Center, Institute of HeartMath, 14700 West Park Avenue,Boulder Creek, CA 95006. Phone: 831.338.8500, Fax: 831.338.1182,Email: [email protected]. Institute of HeartMath web site: www.heartmath.org.

    we summarize the outcomes o several studies inwhich these techniques have been introduced in

    organizational, educational, and clinical settings.

    Denition of Terms

    In recent years, increasing research has o-

    cused on exploring the psychology o positive emo-

    tions. A large part o that attention has been devoted

    to the emotion o gratitude.1 Appreciation, which

    will be discussed in this paper, is related to gratitude,

    and orms an important aspect o our emotional

    landscape.

    McCullough, Kilpatrick, Emmons, and Lar-

    son describe gratitude as a elt sense o wonder,

    thankulness and appreciation or lie. It can be ex-

    pressed to others, as well as to impersonal (nature)

    or nonhuman sources (God, animals, the cosmos)2

    (p. 377). They conceptualize gratitude as an aect

    which guides peoples cognitions and behaviors in

    the moral domain,1

    Common dictionary denitions o apprecia-

    tion include the act o estimating the qualities o

    things according to their true worth; grateulrecognition; sensitive awareness or enjoyment [o

    something/some-one]; and an increase in value.

    Cooperrider and Whitney dene appreciation as:

    valuingthe act o recognizing the best in people

    or the world around us. To perceive those things

    that give lie (health, vitality, excellence) to living

    systems3 (p. 4). Paddison oers the ollowing deni-

    tion: Appreciation means to be thankul and express

    admiration, approval or gratitude4 (p. 231). She

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    also expands on the idea o appreciation as increas-

    ing in value and suggests that as one expresses more

    appreciation, one literally grows in value to both

    onesel and others. In the context o this paper, when

    we reer to appreciation we denote an active eeling

    o thankulness, which has an energetic quality that

    uplits ones energy and spirit.

    Positive Emotions and Optimal Functioning

    You eel a deep sense o peace and inter-nal balanceyou are at harmony withyoursel, with others, and with your larger

    environment. You experience increased

    buoyancy and vitality. Your senses are

    enlivenedevery aspect o your perceptual

    experience seems richer, more textured.

    Surprisingly, you eel invigorated evenwhen you would usually have elt tired and

    drained. Things that usually would have

    irked you just dont get to you as much.

    Your body eels regeneratedyour mind

    clear. At least or a period o time, decisions

    become obvious as priorities clariy and

    inner conict dissolves. Intuitive insight

    suddenly provides convenient solutions to

    problems that had previously consumed

    weeks o restless thought. Your creativity

    ows reely. You may experience a senseo greater connectedness with others and

    eelings o deep ulfllment.

    Most people have at some point in their lives

    experienced a state similar to that described above.

    In many cases, individuals report that such magi-

    cal moments, sometimes described as periods o

    increased fow,5 are accompanied by the experi-

    ence o a heartelt positive emotion. Perhaps it was

    the eeling o being in love, eelings o gratitude or

    anothers kindness, appreciation or the majesty onature, or a sense o ulllment spurred by ones own

    accomplishments.

    For centuries, religious scholars, artists, scien-

    tists, medical practitioners, and lay authors alike have

    written about the transormative power o positive

    emotions. However, until recently, scientic explora-

    tion o these experiences has been largely lacking.

    Presently, a growing body o research is beginning

    to provide objective evidence that positive emotions

    may indeed be key to optimal unctioning, enhancing

    nearly all spheres o human experience. Positive emo-

    tions have been demonstrated to improve health and

    increase longevity,6-9 increase cognitive fexibility and

    creativity,10, 11 acilitate broad-minded coping and

    innovative problem solving,12-14 and promote helpul-

    ness, generosity, and eective cooperation.15

    Over the past ten years, our research group

    has ocused on exploring how and why positive

    emotions improve health and perormance and,

    specically, on uncovering physiological correlates

    o positive emotional states that may help explain

    these observations. In recent years, our research has

    concentrated on elucidating emotion-related changes

    in the patterns o the hearts rhythmic activity and

    on understanding how heart-brain interactions aect

    physiological, cognitive, and emotional processes.

    The Hearts Role in Emotion

    Throughout the 1990s, the view that the brain

    and body work in conjunction in order or percep-

    tions, thoughts, and emotions to emerge has gained

    momentum and is now widely accepted. The brain

    is an analog processor that relates whole concepts to

    one another and looks or similarities, dierences, or

    relationships between them. It is nothing like a digital

    computer, in that it does not assemble thoughts and

    eelings rom bits o data. This new understanding ohow the brain unctions has challenged several long-

    standing assumptions about emotions. For example,

    psychologists once maintained that emotions were

    purely mental expressions generated by the brain

    alone. We now know that this is not trueemotions

    have as much to do with the body as they do with the

    brain. Furthermore, o the bodily organs, the heart

    plays a particularly important role in the emotional

    system. Emotions are thus a product o the brain,

    heart, and body acting in concert.

    Recent work in the relatively new eld o neu-rocardiology has rmly established that the heart

    is a sensory organ and a sophisticated inormation

    encoding and processing center, with an extensive

    intrinsic nervous system suciently sophisticated

    to qualiy as a heart brain. Its circuitry enables it

    to learn, remember, and make unctional decisions

    independent o the cranial brain.16 Moreover, numer-

    ous experiments have demonstrated that patterns o

    cardiac aerent neurological input to the brain not

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    Figure 1. Emotions are reected in our heart rhythmpatterns.Real-time heart rate variability (heart rhythm) pattern of anindividual making an intentional shift from a self-induced stateof frustration to a genuine feeling of appreciation by usingthe Freeze-Frame positive emotion refocusing technique. It isof note that when the recording is analyzed statistically, the

    amount of heart rate variability is found to remain virtuallythe same during the two different emotional states; however,the pattern of the heart rhythm changes distinctly. Note theimmediate shift from an erratic, disordered heart rhythm

    pattern associated with frustration to a smooth, harmonious,sine wave-like (coherent) pattern as the individual uses the

    positive emotion refocusing technique and self-generates aheartfelt feeling of appreciation.

    only aect autonomic regulatory centers, but also

    infuence higher brain centers involved in perception

    and emotional processing.17-19

    One tool that has proven valuable in examin-

    ing heart-brain interactions is heart rate variability

    analysis. Heart rate variability (HRV), derived romthe electrocardiogram (ECG), is a measure o the

    naturally occurring beat-to-beat changes in heart

    rate. The analysis o HRV, or heart rhythms, provides

    a powerul, noninvasive measure o neurocardiac

    unction that refects heart-brain interactions and

    autonomic nervous system dynamics, which are par-

    ticularly sensitive to changes in emotional states.20, 21

    Our research, together with that o others, suggests

    that there is an important link between emotions and

    changes in the patterns o both eerent (descending)

    and aerent (ascending) autonomic activity.19, 20, 22-25

    These changes in autonomic activity lead to dramatic

    changes in the patterno the hearts rhythm, oten

    without any change in the amounto heart rate vari-

    ability. Specically, we have ound that during the

    experience o emotions such as anger, rustration, or

    anxiety, heart rhythms become more erratic and dis-

    ordered, indicating less synchronization in the recip-

    rocal action that ensues between the parasympathetic

    and sympathetic branches o the autonomic nervous

    system (ANS).20, 22 In contrast, sustained positive emo-

    tions, such as appreciation, love, or compassion, are

    associated with highly ordered or coherentpatterns inthe heart rhythms, refecting greater synchronization

    between the two branches o the ANS, and a shit in

    autonomic balance toward increased parasympathetic

    activity (Figure 1).20, 22, 23, 26

    In addition to understanding how complex ANS

    activity patterns correlate with diering emotions,

    we are beginning to understand the role played by a-

    erent neural signals, which fow rom the heart and

    body to the brain, in the generation and experience o

    eelings and emotions. A substantial body o research

    has explored the infuence o aerent signals rom theheart and cardiovascular system on brain unction.

    This research dates back to 1929 when it was ound

    that stimulation o the vagus nerve inhibited motor

    activity and prolonged sleep.27 Among the rst mod-

    ern psychophysiological researchers to systematically

    examine the conversations between the heart and

    brain were John and Beatrice Lacey.28 During twenty

    years o research throughout the 1960s and 1970s,

    they observed that aerent input rom the heart

    and cardiovascular system could signicantly aect

    perceptionand behavior. Their research produced a

    body o behavioral and neurophysiological evidence

    indicating that sensory-motor integration could be

    modied by cardiovascular activity.29-33 One line o

    their research established relationships between

    the hearts aerent signals and reaction times. For

    example, they showed that decreasing heart rate in

    the anticipatory period o reaction time experiments

    quickens reaction times, while increasing heart rate

    slows reaction times.33, 34 The Laceys introduced the

    terms cortical inhibition and cortical acilitation

    to describe these eects. Since that time, extensive

    experimental data have been gathered documenting

    the role played by aerent input rom the heart in

    modulating such varied processes as pain perception,35hormone production,36 electrocortical activity, and

    cognitive unctions.17, 28, 37, 38

    This research, however, did not generally

    consider the role o emotion or how patterns o a-

    erent input aect emotionalprocesses. Our research

    ndings have led us to support a systems-oriented

    model o emotion that includes the heart, brain, and

    the nervous and hormonal systems as undamental

    components o a dynamic, interactive network that

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    underlies the emergence o emotional experience.19

    The model builds on the theory o emotion rst pro-

    posed by Pribram,39 in which the brain unctions as a

    complex pattern identication and matching system.

    In this model, past experience builds within us a set

    o amiliar patterns, which are maintained in the

    neural architecture. Inputs to the brain rom both

    the external and internal environments contribute to

    the maintenance o these patterns. Within the body,

    many processes provide constant rhythmic inputs

    with which the brain becomes amiliar. These include

    the hearts rhythmic activity; digestive, respiratory

    and hormonal rhythms; and patterns o muscular

    tension, particularly acial expressions. These inputs

    are continuously monitored by the brain and help

    organize perception, eelings, and behavior. Recur-

    ring input patterns orm a stable backdrop, or reer-

    ence pattern, against which current experiences arecompared. According to this model, when an input

    pattern is suciently dierent rom the amiliar re-

    erence pattern, this mismatch or departure rom

    the amiliarunderlies the generation o eelings and

    emotions.

    When the input to the brain does not match

    the existing program, an adjustment must be made

    in an attempt to achieve control and return to stabil-

    ity. One way to reestablish control is by taking an

    outward action. We are motivated to eat i we eel

    hungry, run away or ght i threatened, do somethingto draw attention to ourselves i eeling ignored, etc.

    Alternatively, we can reestablish stability and gain

    control by making an internal adjustment (without

    any overt action). For example, a conrontation at

    work may lead to eelings o anger, which can prompt

    inappropriate behavior (e.g., outward actions such

    as yelling, hitting, etc.). However, through internal

    adjustments, we can sel-manageour eelings in or-

    der to inhibit these responses, reestablish stability,

    and maintain our jobs. Ultimately, when we achieve

    stability through our eorts, the results are eelingso satisaction and gratication. By contrast, when

    there is a ailure to achieve stability or control, eel-

    ings such as anxiety, panic, annoyance, apprehension,

    hopelessness, or depression result.

    This model distinguishes two sets o emotions:

    those that refect current order in the neurophysi-

    ological systems and those that refect expectation

    o uture order. Emotionsthe signals o perturba-

    tion and its cessation, and o the initiation o pro-

    cesses necessary to reestablish controlcan thus

    be divided into the concurrent and the prospec-

    tive. The concurrent refects the degree o match

    or mismatch between the current inputs and the

    reerence pattern in the here-and-now.39 Mismatch

    is refected as arousal, while the achievement o

    regaining a match or control is characterized by

    gratication. The prospective aects can be divided

    into optimistic or pessimistic. Inputs to the neural

    system are appraised and compared to memories

    o past outcomes associated with similar inputs or

    situations. I the historical outcomes o similar situ-

    ations are positive, an optimistic aect (e.g., inter-

    est, condence, or hope) will result. On the other

    hand, i the memory o past outcomes has led to the

    expectation o ailure to achieve control, the cur-

    rent inputs are accompanied by pessimistic eelings

    regarding the uture (e.g., annoyance, apprehension,hopelessness, or depression). It is through practice

    and experience with outcomes that inputs become

    appraised as relevant or irrelevant, hopeul or hope-

    less. As we encounter new situations, experience new

    inputs, and learn how to gain or maintain control,

    we expand our repertoire o successul outcomes.

    The more repertoires available, the more likely a

    new input will be assessed as optimistic with a high

    probability o success in maintaining control. It is

    the organization o sequences o input patterns and

    behaviors into hierarchically arranged programs thatgives a person fexibility and adaptability.

    Once a stable baseline pattern or program is

    established, the neural systems attempt to maintain

    a match between the set program, current inputs,

    and uture behaviors. I the baseline pattern becomes

    maladapted, the system will still strive to maintain

    a match to that pattern, even though it is not in

    our best interest. There are many examples o mal-

    adapted patterns. For example, i a child grows up in

    chaotic surroundings, chaos will become amiliar, and

    thereore comortable. The child will then automati-cally take actions that create various orms o chaos

    in his or her lie in order to maintain a match with

    the internal program and thus eel comortable. An-

    other example o maladaptation is when people adapt

    to conveniences (e.g., something is usually done or

    them, they always get what they want, etc.). These

    conveniences can then become expectanciesand be-

    come taken or granted rather than truly appreciated.

    Thus, when a situation occurs where individuals do

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    not get what they want or expect, a mismatch occurs

    and they experience emotional dissonance.

    Monitoring the alterations in the rates,

    rhythms, and patterns o aerent trac is a key

    unction o the cortical and emotional systems in the

    brain. Thus, input originating rom many dierentbodily organs and systems is ultimately involved in

    determining our emotional experience. However,

    the heart, as a primary and consistent generator

    o rhythmic inormation patterns in the human

    body, and possessing a ar more extensive aer-

    ent communication system with the brain than do

    other major organs, plays a particularly important

    role in this process.19 With each beat, the heart not

    only pumps blood, but also continually transmits

    dynamic patterns o neurological, hormonal, pres-

    sure, and electromagnetic inormation to the brain

    and throughout the body. Thereore, cardiovascular

    aerent signals are a major contributor in establish-

    ing the dynamics o the baseline pattern or set point

    against which the now is compared. At lower brain

    levels, the hearts input is compared to reerences

    or set points that control blood pressure, aect

    respiration rate, and gate the fow o activity in the

    descending branches o the autonomic system.40

    From there, these signals cascade up to a number

    o subcortical or limbic areas that are involved in

    the processing o emotion.37, 41

    Several lines o research support the perspec-

    tive that cardiac aerent input exerts an important

    inluence on central emotional processing. For

    example, validation comes rom studies that have

    investigated the eects o aerent input on the

    amygdaloid complexthe amygdala and associated

    nuclei, which play a pivotal role in storing and pro-

    cessing emotional memory and in attaching emo-

    tional signicance to sensory stimuli. Studies have

    shown that neural activity in the central nucleus o

    the amygdala is synchronized to the cardiac cycle

    and is modulated by cardiovascular aerent input.18,42 The importance o changes in the pattern o

    cardiac aerent signals is urther illustrated by the

    nding that psychological aspects o panic disorder

    are requently created by unrecognized paroxysmal

    supraventricular tachycardia (a sudden-onset cardiac

    arrhythmia). One study ound that DSM-IV criteria

    or panic disorder were ullled in more than two-

    thirds o patients with these sudden-onset arrhyth-

    mias. In the majority o cases, once the arrhythmia

    was discovered and treated, the symptoms o panic

    disorder disappeared.43 These arrhythmias generate

    a large and sudden change in the pattern o aer-

    ent signals sent to the brain, which is detected as a

    mismatch. This mismatch consequently results in

    eelings o anxiety and panic.

    It is interesting to note that when one plots

    the heart rhythms generated by this type o ar-

    rhythmia, they look quite similar to the incoherent

    heart rhythm patterns produced by strong eelings

    o anxiety in an otherwise healthy individual. By

    contrast, coherent heart rhythm patterns, which

    are associated with sincere positive emotions, are

    amiliar to most brains and evoke eelings o security

    and well-being. I this is the case, then interventions

    capable o shiting the pattern o the hearts rhythmic

    activity should modiy ones emotional state. In act,

    people commonly use just such an intervention

    simply altering their breathing rhythm by taking sev-

    eral slow, deep breaths. Most people do not realize,

    however, that the reason breathing techniques are

    eective in helping to shit ones emotional state is

    because changing ones breathing rhythm modulates

    the hearts rhythmic activity. The modulation o the

    hearts rhythm by respiratory activity is reerred to

    as respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA).44 Later in this

    paper, we describe other, heart-ocused interventions

    that also acilitate emotional shits by generating

    changes in the hearts rhythmic patterns.

    Physiological Correlates of Heartfelt Positive Emotions

    Physiological coherenceOur research in emotional physiology has

    identied distinct physiological correlates o heart-

    elt positive emotional states. We have introduced

    the term physiological coherence to describe a

    unctional mode encompassing a number o related

    physiological phenomena that are requently associ-

    ated with eelings o appreciation.

    The term coherencehas several related de-

    nitions, all o which are applicable to the study o

    emotional physiology. A common denition o the

    term is the quality o being logically integrated, con-

    sistent, and intelligible, as in a coherent argument.

    In this context, thoughts and emotional states can be

    considered coherent or incoherent. Importantly,

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    however, these associations are not merely meta-

    phorical, as dierent emotions are in act associated

    with dierent degrees o coherence in the oscillatory

    rhythms generated by the bodys various systems.

    This leads us to the denitions o the term

    coherence ound in physics, where it is used todescribe the ordered or constructive distribution o

    power within a wave. The more stable the requency

    and shape o the waveorm, the higher the coherence.

    An example o a coherent wave is the sine wave.

    The term autocoherenceis used to denote this kind

    o coherence. In physiological systems, this type o

    coherence describes the degree o order and stability

    in the rhythmic activity generated by a single oscilla-

    tory system. Methodology or computing coherence

    has been published elsewhere.20

    Coherence also describes two or more waves

    that are either phase- or requency-locked. A com-

    mon example is the laser, in which multiple waves

    phase-lock together, producing a coherent energy

    wave. In physiology, coherence is used to describe a

    unctional mode in which two or more o the bodys

    oscillatory systems, such as respiration and heart

    rhythms, become entrained and oscillate at the

    same requency. The term cross-coherenceis used

    to speciy this type o coherence.

    Interestingly, all the above denitions apply to

    the study o emotional physiology. We have ound that

    sincere positive emotions such as appreciation are

    associated with a higher degree o coherence within

    the hearts rhythmic activity (autocoherence). Ad-

    ditionally, during such states there also tends to be

    increased coherence betweendierent physiological

    oscillatory systems (cross-coherence/entrainment).20,

    22 Typically, entrainment is observed between heart

    rhythms, respiratory rhythms, and blood pressure

    oscillations; however, other biological oscillators,

    including very low requency brain rhythms, cran-

    iosacral rhythms, electrical potentials measured

    across the skin, and, most likely, rhythms in thedigestive system, can also become entrained.45

    A related phenomenon that can also occur

    during physiological coherence is resonance. In phys-

    ics, resonance reers to a phenomenon whereby an

    abnormally large vibration is produced in a system

    in response to a stimulus whose requency is the

    same as, or nearly the same as, the natural vibra-

    tory requency o the system. The requency o the

    vibration produced in such a state is said to be the

    resonant requencyo the system. When the human

    system is operating in the coherent mode, increased

    synchronization occurs between the sympathetic and

    parasympathetic branches o the ANS, and entrain-

    ment between the heart rhythms, respiration, and

    blood pressure oscillations is also observed. This

    occurs because these oscillatory subsystems are all

    vibrating at the resonant requency o the system

    (~0.1 hertz). Thus, in the coherent mode, the power

    spectrum o the heart rhythm displays an unusually

    large peak around 0.1 hertz (see Figure 2).

    Most models show that the resonant requency

    o the human cardiovascular system is determined by

    the eedback loops between the heart and brain.46, 47 In

    humans and in many animals, the resonant requency

    o the system is 0.1 hertz, which is equivalent to a

    10-second rhythm. The system especially vibrates at

    its resonant requency when an individual is actively

    eeling appreciation or some other positive emotion,22

    although resonance can also emerge during states o

    sleep and deep relaxation. In terms o physiological

    unctioning, resonance coners a number o benets

    to the system. For example, there is increased car-

    diac output in conjunction with increased eciency

    in fuid exchange, ltration, and absorption between

    the capillaries and tissues; increased ability o the

    cardiovascular system to adapt to circulatory require-

    ments; and increased temporal synchronization o

    cells throughout the body.48, 49 This results in increasedsystem-wide energy eciency and metabolic energy

    savings. These ndings provide a link between posi-

    tive emotions and increased physiological eciency,

    which may partly explain the growing number o

    correlations documented between positive emotions,

    improved health, and increased longevity. In addition,

    there are data suggesting that this more ecient unc-

    tional mode also improves the cognitive processing o

    sensory inormation.45, 50

    Appreciation, heart-brain synchronization, andcognitive performance

    In addition to the phenomena discussed above,

    physiological coherence is also associated with

    increased synchronization between the heartbeat

    and alpha rhythms in the electroencephalogram

    (EEG). In experiments measuring heartbeat-evoked

    potentials, we ound that the brains alpha wave

    activity (8-12 hertz requency range) is naturally

    synchronized to the cardiac cycle. However, when

    subjects used a positive emotion-ocused technique

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    Figure 2. Heart rhythm patterns during different psychophysiological states.

    Heart rate tachograms, showing beat-to beat changes in heart rate, (left) and heart rate variability power spectra (right) typical of differentemotional/psychophysiological states. Anger (top) is characterized by a lower frequency, disordered heart rhythm pattern and increasing meanheart rate. As can be seen in the power spectrum, the rhythm is primarily in the very low frequency band, which is associated with sympatheticnervous system activity. Relaxation (center) results in a higher frequency, lower-amplitude rhythm, indicating reduced autonomic outow. In thiscase, increased power in the high frequency band of the power spectrum is observed, reecting increased parasympathetic activity (the relaxationresponse). In contrast, sustained positive emotions such as appreciation (bottom) are associated with a highly ordered, smooth, sine wave-likeheart rhythm pattern (coherence). As can be seen in the power spectrum, this physiological mode is associated with a large, narrow peak in thelow frequency band centered around 0.1 Hz. This indicates system-wide resonance, increased synchronization between the sympathetic and

    parasympathetic branches of the nervous system, and entrainment between the heart rhythm pattern, respiration, and blood pressure rhythms.The coherent mode is also associated with increased parasympathetic activity, thus encompassing a key element of the relaxation response,yet it is physiologically distinct from relaxation because the system is oscillating at its resonant frequency and there is increased harmony andsynchronization in nervous system and heart-brain dynamics. In addition, the coherent mode does not necessarily involve a lowering of heartrateper se, or a change in the amount of variability, but rather, a change in heart rhythm pattern. Also note the scale difference in the amplitudeof the spectral peak during the coherent mode.

    to sel-induce a eeling o appreciation, their heart

    rhythm coherence signicantly increased, as did the

    ratio o the alpha rhythm that was synchronized to

    the heart.45, 50 In another study in which subjects

    sel-generated eelings o appreciation while listening

    to music designed to oster positive emotions,51 we

    ound that the percentage o alpha-ECG synchroni-

    zation signicantly increased in the let hemisphere

    centered around the temporal lobe. Figure 3 shows

    the group mean topographical maps o the percent-

    age o alpha activity that was synchronized to the

    heartbeat across dierent conditions. These plots

    are controlled or total amount o alpha activity and

    indicate only changes in synchronized activity rom

    a resting baseline to actively eeling appreciation. As

    can be seen in the gure, the main brain areas that

    are synchronized to the heart shit rom the right

    rontal area during the baseline period (the lighter the

    color, the more synchronized) to the let hemisphere

    centered around the temporal area and radiating

    outward rom there during appreciation.

    These observations may be related to ndings

    indicating that increased let hemisphere activity is

    associated with happiness and euphoria while in-

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    Figure 3. Alpha activity synchronized to the cardiac cycle.Group mean topographical maps for 30 subjects, showing the percentage of alpha activity in different regions of the brain that is synchronizedto the heartbeat during a resting baseline as compared to during actively feeling appreciation. The plots are controlled for total amount ofalpha activity (which did not change signicantly) and show only the amount of synchronized activity. As can be seen in the plots, the areaswith the highest degree of synchronization shift from the right frontal area during the baseline period (lighter colors indicate higher levels ofsynchronization) to the left hemisphere centered around the temporal area and radiating outward from there during appreciation. This changewas most pronounced at EEG site T3, although activity at adjacent sites was also signicantly more synchronized to the heart.

    creased right hemisphere activity is associated with

    depression and negative aect.52, 53 It is clear that

    both the right and let hemispheres are involved in

    the processing and regulation o emotion; however,

    there is still a lack o clarity regarding the roles o

    hemispheres and how they interact in the emergence

    and perception o emotional experience.

    In related experiments, we ound that increased

    heart rhythm coherence correlates with signicant

    improvements in cognitive perormance in auditory

    discrimination tasks, which require subjects to ocus

    and pay attention, discriminate subtle tone dier-

    ences, and react quickly and accurately. Not only

    did increases in heart rhythm coherence accompany

    increased cognitive perormance, but also the de-

    gree o coherence correlated with task perormance

    across all subjects during all tasks. The control group,

    which had a relaxation period in place o the positive

    emotion sel-induction task, showed no signicant

    increase in heart rhythm coherence or improvements

    in cognitive perormance.45, 50

    These observations directly support the

    concept that the patternocardiac aerent input

    reaching the brain can inhibit or acilitate cortical

    unction signicantly beyond the micro-rhythm o

    inhibition/acilitation associated with simple changes

    in heart rate that was rst documented by the Laceys.

    Thus, these ndings provide a potential physiologi-

    cal link between appreciation and improvements in

    aculties such as motor skills, ocused attention, and

    discrimination.

    In summary, we use the term coherence to

    describe a physiological mode that encompasses en-

    trainment, resonance, and synchronizationdistinct

    but related phenomena, all o which emerge rom the

    harmonious interactions o the bodys subsystems.

    Correlates o physiological coherence include: in-

    creased synchronization between the two branches

    o the ANS, a shit in autonomic balance toward

    increased parasympathetic activity, increased heart-

    brain synchronization, increased vascular resonance,

    and entrainment between diverse physiological oscil-

    latory systems. The coherent mode is refected by a

    smooth, sine wave-like pattern in the heart rhythms

    (heart rhythm coherence) and a narrow-band, high-

    amplitude peak in the low requency range o the HRV

    power spectrum, at a requency o about 0.1 hertz.

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    Drivers of physiological coherenceAlthough physiological coherence is a natu-

    ral state that can occur spontaneously, sustained

    episodes are generally rare. While specic rhyth-

    mic breathing methods can induce coherence and

    entrainment or brie periods, cognitively-directed, paced breathing is diicult or many people to

    maintain. On the other hand, our ndings indicate

    that individuals can produce extended periods o

    physiological coherence by actively generating and

    sustaining a eeling o appreciation. Sincere eelings

    o appreciation appear to excite the system at its

    resonant requency, allowing the coherent mode to

    emerge naturally. This typically makes it easier or

    people to sustain a positive emotion or much longer

    periods, thus acilitating the process o establish-

    ing and reinorcing coherent patterns in the neural

    architecture as the amiliar reerence. Once a new

    pattern is established, the brain strives to maintain

    a match with the new program, thus increasing the

    probability o having an optimistic outlook and main-

    taining emotional stability, even during challenging

    situations.

    Consciously generating eelings o love and

    appreciation while pretending to breathe through

    the area o the heart appears to coner a ar wider

    range o benets than simply orcing the system

    into coherence using breathing techniques alone. In

    order to distinguish between physiological coherence

    that naturally emerges as a result o positive emotions

    exciting the system at its resonant requency, and

    coherence that is induced by cognitively-driven ap-

    proaches (e.g., paced breathing), we have introduced

    the term psychophysiological coherenceto denote

    emotionally-driven coherence.45

    During states o psychophysiological coher-

    ence, bodily systems unction with a high degree o

    synchronization, eciency, and harmony, and the

    bodys natural regenerative processes appear to be

    acilitated. Psychologically, this mode is associated

    with improved cognitive perormance, increased

    emotional stability, and enhanced psychosocial

    unctioning and quality o lie. Additionally, many

    people report experiencing a notable reduction in

    inner mental dialogue along with eelings o increased

    peace, sel-security, and sustained positive emotions

    ater practicing maintaining this mode even or short

    periods such as a ew days or weeks.20, 23, 26, 45

    Emotional Management: The Missing Dimension

    Throughout the ages, in every culture, and

    in countless dierent ways, we have been exhorted

    repeatedly with the same undamental message: to

    love one another, to have care and compassion orour ellow human beings, and to live in apprecia-

    tion o lies gits. Yet, in our view, genuine positive

    emotions and attitudes are not as prevalent in most

    peoples lives as one might presume. Such states,

    along with their numerous benets, remain, or the

    most part, mental concepts, which are transient

    and unpredictable experiences in the majority o

    peoples lives. They are too oten dependent on the

    arrangements o external events, rather than being

    undamental traits. For example, people may nd it

    relatively easy to genuinely experience eelings suchas happiness, buoyancy, or appreciation during lies

    highsspecial occasions or events that requently

    involve a high degree o sensory stimulation; how-

    ever, people rarely sustain such regenerative eelings

    as a norm in the midst o their ordinary day-to-day

    lives. At the other end o the spectrum, there are

    many examples in which a tragedy or crisis elicits

    eelings and actions o care, compassion, and un-

    precedented cooperation among members o a amily

    community, or organizationonly or people to all

    back into old patterns o separation, judgment, and

    sel-centered thought and action some time ater the

    event has passed.

    Although most people intuitively know that

    theyeelbest and operate more eciently and e-

    ectively when experiencing positive emotions, why

    is it that they do not more consistently engage such

    states in their day-to-day lives? Why do genuine

    positive emotional experiences remain transient

    and unpredictable occurrences or most people? We

    propose that a main actor underlying this discrep-

    ancy is a undamental lack o mental and emotional

    sel-management skills. In other words, people gener-

    ally do not make eorts to actively inuse their daily

    experiences with greater emotional quality because

    they sincerely do not know how.

    Despite our best intentions, the human nega-

    tivity biasthe natural tendency to ocus on inputs

    (including thoughts and emotions) perceived as

    negative to a greater extent than neutral or positive

    stimuliis a very real phenomenon with a sound

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    neurophysiological basis.54 Although most people

    denitively claim that they love, care, and appreciate,

    it might shock many to realize the large degree to

    which these eelings are merely assumed or acknowl-

    edged cognitively, ar more than they are actually

    experienced in their eeling world. In the absence o

    conscious eortsto engage, build, and sustain posi-

    tive perceptions and emotions, we all too automati-

    cally all prey to eelings o irritation, anxiety, worry,

    rustration, judgmentalness, sel-doubt, and blame.

    As negative eelings are repeatedly rehashed, these

    patterns reinorce their amiliarity in the neural ar-

    chitecture, thus becoming stereotyped and increas-

    ingly automatic and mechanical. Many people do not

    realize the extent to which these habitual response

    patterns dominate their internal landscape, dilut-

    ing and limiting positive emotional experience, and

    eventually becoming so amiliar that they becomeengrained in their sense o sel-identity.

    Unmanaged negative mental, and, particularly,

    emotional processing drains vital energy rom our

    psychological energy reserves, which we call the

    emotional energy accumulators. Emotional energy

    or buoyancy is important or smooth mental process-

    es. When our energy accumulators are drained, this

    leads to unregulated nervous system activity, which

    decreases clarity and our ability to make accurate

    assessments and quick, eective decisions. This, in

    turn, oten serves to perpetuate the cycle o stressand disturbed eelings. In essence, the inner noise

    generated rom unmanaged mental and emotional

    processes consumes our energy and keeps us rom

    unctioning to our ull potential.

    Various stress management practices have

    been developed to help people manage their emo-

    tions in order to reduce these energy drains. The

    majority o these approaches are based on a cogni-

    tive model in which all emotions ollow a cognitive

    assessment o sensory input, which then leads to a

    behavioral response. Thereore, these approachesrely on strategies that engage or restructure cognitive

    processes. The basic theoretical ramework is that

    i emotions always ollow thought, then by chang-

    ing ones thoughts, one can gain control over the

    emotions. However, in the last decade, research in

    the neurosciences has made it quite clear that emo-

    tional processes operate at a much higher speed than

    thoughts, and requently bypass the minds linear

    reasoning process entirely.55 In other words, not all

    emotions ollow thoughts; many (and in act most in

    certain contexts) occur independently o the cogni-

    tive systems and can signicantly bias or color the

    cognitive process and its output or decision.55, 56

    This is why strategies that encourage positive

    thinkingwithout also engaging positive

    eelings

    may requently provide only temporary, i any, relie

    rom emotional distress. While a conceptual shit may

    occur (which is important), the undamental source

    o the emotional stress (a maladapted reerence

    program) remains largely intact. This has signicant

    implications or emotion regulation interventions

    and suggests that intervening at the level o the emo-

    tional system may in many cases be a more direct

    and ecient way to override and transorm historical

    patterns underlying maladaptive thoughts, eelings,

    and behaviors and instill more positive emotions and

    prosocial behaviors.

    Tools and Techniques to Promote Positive Emotionsand Physiological Coherence

    The recent Positive Psychology movement

    has emphasized the importance o encouraging not

    only the reduction o negative emotions, but also the

    cultivation o positive emotions in daily lie.57 Yet, psy-

    chology has seen a notable scarcity o interventions

    that ocus directly and systematically on increasing

    positive emotional experiences. Recognizing thisneed many years ago, one o us (D.C.) undertook

    the development o practical, heart-based positive

    emotion-ocused tools and techniques, which are

    designed to acilitate the sel-regulation o emotions.4,

    58-63 Collectively known as the HeartMathsystem,

    these techniques utilize the heart as a point o entry

    into the psychophysiological networks that underlie

    emotional experience.58, 63 The model o emotion we

    briefy summarized earlier emphasizes the central

    role played by cardiac aerent signals in emotional

    perception and experience. In essence, because theheart is a primary generator o rhythmic patterns in

    the bodyinfuencing brain processes that control

    the ANS, cognitive unction, and emotionit provides

    an access point rom which system-wide dynamics

    can be quickly and prooundly aected.45

    In brie, HeartMath techniques combine a

    shit in the ocus o attention to the area around the

    heart (where many people subjectively eel positive

    emotions) with the intentional sel-induction o a

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    sincere positive emotional state, such as apprecia-

    tion. We have ound that appreciation is one o the

    most concrete and easiest o the positive emotions

    or individuals to sel-induce and sustain or longer

    periods.

    Such a shit in ocus and eeling serves to in-crease heart rhythm coherence, which results in a

    change in the pattern o aerent cardiac input sent

    to the cognitive and emotional centers in the brain.

    This coupling o a more organized aerent pattern

    with an intentionally sel-generated eeling o appre-

    ciation reinorces the natural conditioned response

    between the physiological state and the positive

    emotion. This subsequently strengthens the ability

    o a positive eeling shit to initiate a physiological

    shit towards increased coherence, or a physiological

    shit to acilitate the experience o a positive emotion.

    Once this association is rmly conditioned, simply

    pretending to breathe through the area o the heart,

    during a challenging situation where it may be hard

    to sel-induce a positive emotion, can oten acilitate

    an emotional shit.

    Positive emotion-ocused techniques can thus

    enable individuals to eectively replace stressul

    thought patterns and eelings with more positive per-

    ceptions and emotions in the momentwhen they are

    needed most. In turn, this requently leads to more

    eective communication, improved decision making,

    and greater creativity and resourceulness in problem

    solving. However, there are also benets that extend

    beyond reducing stress and negative emotions in the

    present moment. Learning to sel-generate positive

    emotions with increasing consistency can give rise

    to long-term improvements in emotion regulation

    abilities, attitudes, and relationships that aect many

    aspects o ones lie.

    In keeping with our model o emotion, we

    suggest that these enduring benets stem rom the

    act that as people experience appreciation and its

    consequent physiological coherence with increasingconsistency, the coherent patterns become ever more

    amiliar to the brain. Thus, these patterns become

    established in the neural architecture as a new,

    stable baseline or norm, which serves as a set point

    or rame o reerence that the system then strives

    to maintain. Thereore, when stress or emotional

    instability is subsequently experienced, the amiliar

    coherent, stable state is more readily accessible, en-

    abling a quicker and more enduring emotional shit.

    Even brie periods o coherence can stabilize nervous

    system dynamics, thereby reducing the tendency or

    inputs, whether internally or externally generated,

    to cause an emotional disturbance. Through this re-

    patterning process, positive emotions and coherent

    physiological patterns progressively replace maladap-

    tive emotional patterns and stressul responses as the

    habitual way o being.

    HeartMath tools and techniques can be divided

    into two basic categories: (1) positive emotion reo-

    cusing techniques and (2) emotional restructuring

    techniques. Below we describe one example rom

    each category: the Freeze-Frame and Heart Lock-In

    techniques. These tools are intentionally designed as

    simple, easy-to-use interventions that can be adapted

    to virtually any culture or age group. They are ree

    o religious or cultural bias, and most people eel an

    enjoyable emotional shit and experience a broadened

    perception the rst time that they use them. Although

    most age groups can eectively use the Freeze-Frame

    and Heart Lock-In techniques, tools speciically

    or children and young adults have also been de-

    signed.62, 64, 65 We have also created a number o tools

    or use in specic contexts in organizational, educa-

    tional, and health care settings.58, 61, 66

    Freeze-Frame: A positive emotion refocusing techniqueFreeze-Frame is a positive emotion reocus-ing exercise that enables individuals to intervene

    in real time to greatly reduce or prevent the stress

    and energy drains created rom inappropriate or

    unproductive emotional triggers and reactions.60 The

    techniques name is derived rom the concept that

    conscious perception works in a way that is analogous

    to watching a movie, and perceiving each moment

    as an individual perceptual rame. When a scene

    becomes stressul, it is possible and helpul to reeze

    that perceptual rame and isolate it in time so that it

    can be observed rom a more detached and objective

    viewpointsimilar to putting a VCR on pause or the

    moment. We have ound that the process o deen-

    ergizing and disengaging rom distressing thoughts

    and emotions can be greatly acilitated by shiting

    ones attention to the area around the heart (center

    o the chest) and sel-generating aeelingo sincere

    appreciation. This process prevents or interrupts the

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    bodys normal stress response and acilitates a shit

    toward increased physiological coherence (see Figure

    1). The resulting change in the pattern o aerent

    signals reaching the brains cognitive and emotional

    centers reinorces the eeling shit and also acilitates

    higher cognitive aculties that are normally compro-

    mised during stress and negative emotional states.

    This sharpens ones discernment abilities, increases

    resourceulness, and oten acilitates a perceptual

    shit, which allows problematic issues, interactions,

    or decisions to be assessed and dealt with rom a

    broader, more emotionally balanced perspective.

    The Freeze-Frame technique consists o ve

    simple steps, which can be eectively applied in real

    time in the midst o a stressul situation or day-to-day

    activities (e.g., while driving, sitting in a meeting,

    interacting with others, etc.). (See box below.)

    The key elements o the technique are: Shit

    (to the area o the heart),Activate(a positive eel-

    ing), and Sense(what is the best perspective or atti-

    tude or this situation). In most training contexts, we

    rst lead people through several exercises designed to

    aid them in identiying their deepest core values and

    the people, places, or events they truly appreciate.

    This helps them with Step 3, where they are asked

    to sel-generate a eeling o appreciation or other

    positive emotion. This shit to a positive emotional

    state, or at least to a more neutral eeling, is an im-

    portant aspect o the techniques eectiveness. For

    those people or whom it may be initially dicult to

    sel-generate a eeling o appreciation in the present

    moment, it is generally helpul to suggest that they

    remember a time or experience in the past when they

    elt sincere appreciation and then attempt to reex-

    perience that eeling in the present. With practice,

    however, most people become able to sel-generate

    eelings o appreciation in real time and no longer

    need the past time reerence.

    As previously stated, the Freeze-Frame tech-

    nique is designed to enable individuals to intercede

    in real time while stress is being experiencedrather

    than try to recuperate ater the act. The benets o

    this cannot be overstated. Using Freeze-Frame in the

    heat o the moment saves tremendous amounts

    o energy that otherwise would have been drained

    and oten prevents hours o emotionally-induced

    wear and tear on the body and psyche. It can also

    reduce the time and energy spent dealing with the

    The Steps of Freeze-Frame:1. Take a time-out so that you can temporarily disengage rom your thoughts and

    eelingsespecially stressul ones.

    2. Shit your ocus o attention to the area around your heartnow eel yourbreath coming in through your heart and out through your solar plexus.

    (Practice breathing this way a ew times to ease into the technique).

    3. Make a sincere eort to activate a positive eeling.

    (This can be a genuine eeling o appreciation or care or someone, some place or something

    in your lie.)

    4. Ask yoursel what would be an efcient, eective attitude or action that wouldbalance and de-stress your system.

    5. Quietly sense any change in perception or eeling and sustain it as longas you can.

    (Heart perceptions are oten subtle. They gently suggest eective solutions that would be best

    or you and all concerned.)

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    consequences o impulsive decisions or emotionally

    charged reactions, such as regret, embarrassment,

    guilt, accidents, and damaged relationships.

    One o the long-term benets to be gained

    rom the practice o emotion reocusing techniques

    is increased emotional awareness, a undamental stepin the process o improving emotional well-being. In

    addition to helping people modiy their responses to

    stressul events in the external environment, such

    techniques also help individuals identiy and modiy

    more subtle internal stressors (i.e., persistent sel-

    deeating and energy-depleting thought patterns and

    eelings, such as anxiety, ear, hurt, resentment, judg-

    mentalism, perectionism, and projections about the

    uture). As individuals practice reezing the rame

    when eeling inner turmoil, they gain increased

    awareness o the habitual mental and emotional pro-

    cesses that underlie their stress, and become more

    able to catch the onset o these eelings and patterns,

    thus diminishing their infuence.

    Most individuals nd the Freeze-Frame tech-

    nique applicable to a variety o purposes beyond

    stress reduction. Additional applications include:

    acilitating decision making and problem solving,

    increasing mental ocus and clarity, enhancing cre-

    ativity, improving work and sports perormance, im-

    proving communication eectiveness, and increasing

    team coherence. Since the technique takes only a

    minute or less to employ, many people report using

    it requently throughout the day to clear their men-

    tal screen and consciously add a higher quality o

    emotional experience to their daily activities.

    Heart Lock-In: An emotional restructuring techniqueThe Heart Lock-In58, 59 is an emotional re-

    structuring technique, which is generally taught as a

    companion tool to Freeze-Frame. The Heart Lock-In

    technique ocuses on building the capacity to sustain

    heartelt positive emotions and physiological coher-ence or longer periods. I desired, practice o this

    technique may also be acilitated by music specically

    created to promote emotional balance and augment

    the avorable psychological and physiological eects

    o positive aective states.67, 68

    In essence, the Heart Lock-In technique is

    designed to reinorce or lock in the coherent

    psychophysiological patterns associated with ap-

    preciation and other positive aective states. With

    practice, these coherent patterns become increas-

    ingly amiliar, thus promoting increased physiological

    eciency, mental acuity, and emotional stability as

    the new, amiliar baseline or norm. Once this is ac-

    complished, the system then attempts to maintain

    this state automatically.

    At the physiological level, the occurrence o

    this repatterning process is supported by elec-

    trophysiological evidence demonstrating a greater

    requency o spontaneous (without conscious prac-

    tice o the intervention) periods o coherence in the

    heart rate tachograms o individuals practiced in

    the Heart Lock-In technique in comparison to the

    general population (unpublished data). To the extent

    that the Heart Lock-In helps establish appreciation

    and coherence as a amiliar and accessible state, it

    becomes easier to eectively apply the Freeze-Frame

    tool during stressul or challenging situations.

    The key elements o the technique are: Focus

    (in the area o the heart),Appreciate, and Radiate

    (love and care). In the midst o lies perpetual activ-

    ity, the Heart Lock-In oers a simple way to culti-

    vate and ampliy heartelt positive eelings and their

    nourishing eects on the body and psyche. As with

    the Freeze-Frame technique, it is important in the

    Heart Lock-In to try and genuinely experience the

    eelingo appreciation, as opposed to merely calling

    up a mental concept or image. Because o its active

    emotional ocus, the Heart Lock-In imparts a state

    that is physiologically distinct rom that induced

    by most relaxation exercises, whose main aim is to

    lower arousal levels. Relaxation is associated with an

    increase in parasympathetic activity, but generally

    does not produce prolonged periods o physiologi-

    cal coherence (see Figure 2). The coherent mode

    previously described is also associated with a shit

    in autonomic balance toward increased parasympa-

    thetic activity, thus encompassing a main element

    o the relaxation response, yet it is physiologicallydistinct rom relaxation because, unlike relaxation, it

    is also characterized by system-wide resonance and

    increased harmony and synchronization in nervous

    system and heart-brain dynamics.

    The increased physiological coherence gener-

    ated in Steps 2 and 3 o the Heart Lock-In technique

    reinorces and amplies positive eeling states such

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    as appreciation, care, and love. As individuals prac-

    tice Step 4, they may imagine themselves gently

    emanating these eelings rom the heart area. This

    process is typically accompanied by eelings o deep

    peaceulness, harmony, and a sense o inner warmth,

    and is oten an eective means to diuse accumu-

    lated stress and negative eelings. Also, in quieting

    mental dialogue through this process, many report

    the spontaneous emergence o an intuitive clarity

    relative to problems or troublesome issues.

    Many people nd it benecial to begin and

    end their day with a Heart Lock-In. By using the

    technique rst thing in the morning, beore negative

    thoughts, worries, projections, or even useul plans

    start to engage the mind, one can help set the emo-

    tional tone or the day. This practice tends to anchor

    eelings o appreciation, buoyancy, and emotional

    stability, which increases the probability o carrying

    such eelings over into and throughout the day, thus

    reducing the likelihood o their being diminished by

    daily hassles and stressul events. Likewise, at days

    end, using this tool can help one unwind, rebalance,

    and let go o worries, concerns, and negative eelings

    that have accumulated throughout the day. Focusing

    on heartelt eelings o appreciation beore going to

    bed at night oten leads to more peaceul and rejuve-

    nating sleep and reduces the carry-over o negative

    thoughts and emotions into the ollowing day. Thus,

    creating a coherent internal environment prepares

    the physiological, mental, and emotional systems to

    more ully derive the regenerative benets o sleep.

    Heart rhythm coherence feedback trainingHeart rhythm eedback training is a powerul

    tool to assist people in using positive emotion-ocused

    techniques eectively and learning to sel-generate

    increased physiological coherence.69 Technologies

    have been developed that enable physiological

    coherence to be objectively monitored and quanti-

    ed. One such device is the Freeze-Framer heart

    rhythm-monitoring and coherence-building system

    (HeartMath LLC, Boulder Creek, CA). This interac-

    tive hardware/sotware system monitors and displays

    individuals heart rate variability patterns in realtime as they practice the positive emotion reocusing

    and emotional restructuring techniques taught in an

    on-line tutorial. Using a ngertip sensor to record

    the pulse wave, the Freeze-Framer plots changes in

    heart rate on a beat-to-beat basis. As people practice

    the techniques, they can readily see and experience

    the changes in their heart rhythm patterns, which

    generally become more ordered, smoother, and

    more sine wave-like as they eel appreciation and

    Heart Lock-In Steps:1. Gently shit your attention to the area around your heart.

    2. Shit your breathing so that you are breathing in through the heart and outthrough the solar plexus.

    3. Activate a genuine eeling o appreciation or care or someone or something inyour lie.

    4. Make a sincere eort to sustain eelings o appreciation, care or love whileradiating them to yoursel and others.

    5. When you catch your mind wandering, gently ocus your breathing backthrough the heart and solar plexus and reconnect with eelings o care or ap-preciation.

    (Ater youve nished, sincerely sustain your eelings o care and appreciation as long as you

    can. This will act as a cushion against recurring stress or anxiety.)

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    other positive emotions. This process reinorces

    the natural association between the physiological

    coherence mode and positive eelings. The real-

    time physiological eedback also essentially takes

    the guesswork and randomness out o the process

    o sel-inducing a positive emotional state, resulting

    in greater consistency, ocus, and eectiveness in

    practicing emotional shits.

    The sotware also analyzes the heart rhythm

    patterns or coherence level, which is ed back to the

    user as an accumulated score or success in playing

    one o three on-screen games designed to reinorce

    the emotion reocusing skills. Finally, the sotware

    includes a multi-user database to store results and

    track ones progress.

    Because this technology uses a ngertip pulse

    sensor and involves no electrode hook-up, it is ex-

    tremely versatile, time-ecient, and easy to use in

    a wide variety o settings (e.g., workplaces, homes,

    schools, etc.). Heart rhythm coherence eedback

    training has been successully used in diverse con-

    texts by mental health proessionals, physicians, law

    enorcement personnel, educators, and corporate ex-

    ecutives to decrease stress, anxiety, depression, and

    atigue; promote improved academic and work per-

    ormance; lower blood pressure; and acilitate health

    improvements in numerous clinical disorders.

    Intervention Studies

    Benecial psychological and health outcomes

    associated with the use o positive emotion-ocused

    techniques and heart rhythm coherence eedback

    training have been demonstrated across diverse

    populations in both laboratory and eld studies.70

    Collectively, these results suggest that techniques

    which oster eelings o appreciation and increase

    physiological coherence are eective in producing

    sustained improvements in many aspects o psycho-

    logical and physical health and in general well-beingand perormance. Further, results indicate that such

    techniques are easily learned, have a high rate o

    compliance, and are highly adaptable to a wide range

    o demographic groups.

    Health-related outcomesThe human body has an inherent capacity or

    sel-healing and regeneration. However, lies hectic

    pace coupled with requent inecient mental and

    emotional activity can compromise the systems

    natural regenerative processes. The energy drains

    produced by unmanaged emotions burden the sys-

    tem, placing added stress on the entire body, and

    can contribute to conditions such as atigue, burn-

    out, and increased susceptibility to both inectious

    and chronic disease.71-74 The health implications are

    substantial, as there is now abundant evidence that

    the depletion o emotional energy plays a major and

    largely unrecognized role in both the genesis and

    aggravation o many health problems.75-79

    By ostering a state o psychophysiological co-

    herence, positive emotion-ocused techniques help

    individuals create an internal environment that is

    conducive to both physical and emotional regenera-

    tion. We suggest that such techniques are eective in

    helping to build back energythat has been depleted

    by persistent mental processing or negative emo-

    tional arousal, thereby enhancing health and healing.

    A number o research studies provide support or

    this hypothesis, documenting both short-term and

    long-term health benets associated with the use o

    positive emotion-ocused techniques.

    For example, studies have shown that practice

    o the Heart Lock-In or Freeze-Frame technique with

    a ocus on appreciation, care, or compassion results

    in a signicant increase in levels o secretory IgA, the

    predominant antibody class ound in mucosal secre-

    tions that serves as the bodys rst line o deense

    against pathogens.67, 80 Other research has docu-

    mented signicant avorable changes in hormonal

    balance with regular practice o Heart Lock-In and

    Cut-Thru (an emotional restructuring technique)59

    over a period o 30 days. In a study o 30 subjects,

    a 23% reduction in cortisol and a 100% increase in

    DHEA were measured ater one month o practic-

    ing the tools. Increases in DHEA were signicantly

    correlated to increases in the aective construct o

    Warmheartedness (represented by kindness, appre-ciation, tolerance, and compassion), while decreases

    in cortisol were signicantly correlated to decreases

    in Stress.23

    Improvements in clinical status, emotional

    well-being, and quality o lie have also been dem-

    onstrated in various medical patient populations in

    intervention programs using positive emotion reo-

    cusing and emotional restructuring approaches. For

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    example, signicant blood pressure reductions have

    been demonstrated in individuals with hypertension;81

    improved unctional capacity and reduced depression

    in congestive heart ailure patients;82 and improved

    psychological health and quality o lie in patients

    with diabetes.83 Another study reported reductions

    in pathological symptoms and anxiety and signicant

    improvements in positive aect, physical vitality, and

    general well-being in individuals with HIV inection

    and AIDS.84

    Additionally, patient case history data provided

    by numerous health care proessionals report sub-

    stantial improvements in health and psychological

    status and requent reductions in medication require-

    ments in patients with such medical conditions as

    cardiac arrhythmias, chronic atigue, environmental

    sensitivity, bromyalgia, and chronic pain.85 Finally,

    positive emotion-ocused techniques and heart

    rhythm eedback have been used with great success

    by mental health proessionals in the treatment o

    emotional disorders, including anxiety, depression,

    panic disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.85

    Many therapists ind that emotional restructur-

    ing techniques are an eective means to achieve

    therapeutic release without retraumatization and

    requently shorten treatment time.

    Organizational outcomesWe have examined the impact o positiveemotion-ocused interventions and heart rhythm

    eedback training in a diverse range o organizational

    settings, including high-tech companies, government

    agencies, global oil companies, hospitals, and law en-

    orcement agencies. Collectively, this research shows

    that interventions that ocus on increasing positive

    emotions can indeed be eectively implemented

    in a wide variety o workplace settings, yielding

    measurable improvements in both employee health

    and well-being and in organizational perormance.

    Organizationally relevant outcomes documented

    include increases in productivity, goal clarity, job

    satisaction, communication eectiveness, and

    reductions in employee turnover.70, 81, 86-88 Positive

    emotion-ocused intervention programs have also

    been used in helping organizations eectively meet

    the demands o specic challenges, such as downsiz-

    ing and restructuring initiatives.

    Educational outcomesPrograms incorporating HeartMath tools and

    techniques, introduced at the elementary, middle

    school, high school, and college levels, have been

    demonstrated to improve emotional well-being,

    classroom behaviors, learning, and academic peror-mance.70, 89 In one study, 32 at-risk middle school stu-

    dents exhibited signicant improvements in nearly all

    areas o psychosocial unctioning assessed, including

    stress and anger management, risky behavior, work

    management and ocus, and relationships with teach-

    ers, amily and peers. Furthermore, students were

    able to use the Freeze-Frame technique to quickly

    recover rom acute emotional stress and positively

    modulate their autonomic response to stress in real

    time, thus demonstrating increased physiological

    stress resiliency in relation to a control group.26

    Another study examined the impact o Heart-

    Math tools and technology on reducing test-taking

    anxiety and improving test scores in high school

    seniors. Students who had ailed their state-required

    exit exams and who needed to retake the tests in

    order to graduate rom high school participated

    in a three-week intensive program. The course in-

    cluded instruction in the Freeze-Frame and Heart

    Lock-In techniques, with an emphasis on reducing

    test-related anxiety and instilling greater emotional

    stability and sel-condence. Students also received

    heart rhythm eedback training to help them learn

    how to sel-generate physiological coherence. Ater

    the program, the trained students demonstrated

    improvements in test scores and passing rates that

    represented one to two years growth in academic

    skills and greatly exceeded those achieved through

    standard academic preparation alone. As compared

    to a control group, the trained students also demon-

    strated signicant reductions in hostility, depression,

    interpersonal sensitivity, somatization, and other key

    indices o psychological distress.90

    In a study evaluating a program designed to

    decrease anger, improve psychosocial well-being, and

    engender orgiveness, Stanord University students

    were taught the Freeze-Frame and Heart Lock-In

    techniques in six weekly one-hour sessions. Par-

    ticipants were assessed by psychological sel-report

    measures and their response to a vignette at base-

    line, at the completion o the training, and again ten

    weeks later. The students who received the training

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    demonstrated signicant reductions in both trait and

    reactive anger as well as interpersonal hurt, and were

    more willing to use orgiveness as a problem-solving

    strategy as compared to the control group. Among

    the study group, there were also signicant increases

    in hopeulness, sel-ecacy towards managing emo-

    tion and interpersonal hurt, and measures assessing

    personal growth, compassion, spiritual issues, and

    quality o lie. These results suggest that programs

    that oster appreciation can be eective in modiy-

    ing psychosocial traits and acilitating the release o

    negative emotions accumulated rom past hurts in a

    relatively brie period o time.91

    Summary and Conclusion

    Recent years have seen the emergence o a

    growing body o data linking positive emotions tothe enhancement o human unctioning. Collectively,

    these ndings are beginning to substantiate what

    many people have long intuitively knownthat

    positive emotions not only eel good at the subjec-

    tive level, but also bolster ones ability to meet lies

    challenges with grace and ease, optimize cognitive

    capacities, sustain constructive and meaningul

    relationships with others, and oster good health.

    The research ndings discussed in this paper add to

    this body o data by identiying and characterizing a

    distinct mode o physiological unctioning that is as-sociated with the eeling o appreciation. This mode,

    which we have termed physiological coherence, en-

    compasses a number o related phenomena, including

    entrainment, synchronization, and resonance, all

    o which emerge rom the ecient and harmonious

    interactions o the bodys subsystems. We propose

    that coherent mode may provide a potential physi-

    ological link between positive emotions and a range o

    avorable health-related, cognitive, and psychosocial

    outcomes documented by an increasing number o

    research studies.

    The model o emotion discussed in this paper

    suggests that the brain unctions as a complex pat-

    tern identication and matching system, and high-

    lights the role o aerent bodily input in establishing

    the amiliar reerence patterns that are critical in

    ultimately determining emotional experience. As a

    principal and consistent source o rhythmic inorma-

    tion patterns that impact the physiological, cognitive,

    and emotional systems, the heart plays a particularly

    important role in the generation and perception o

    emotion.

    We have demonstrated that emotions are re-

    fected in the hearts rhythms, and that by initiating

    a change in heart rhythm patterns, it is oten pos-

    sible to bring about rapid and signicant changesin perception and emotional experience. Positive

    emotion-ocused techniques that couple a shit in the

    hearts rhythmic patterns with the intentional sel-

    induction o a heartelt eeling o appreciation have

    been shown to be eective means to reduce stress and

    negative emotions in the moment and instill more

    positive perceptions, emotions, and behaviors. Fur-

    thermore, as individuals learn to increasingly sustain

    positive emotions and physiological coherence with

    consistent practice o such techniques, we suggest

    that a repatterning process occurs whereby increased

    physiological eciency, mental acuity, and emotional

    stability are established as a new, amiliar baseline

    or norm. The establishment o a new reerence pat-

    tern enables individuals increasingly to override

    maladaptive perceptual, emotional, and behavioral

    patterns accumulated through past experience and

    to cultivate more positive emotions, attitudes, and

    behaviors in daily lie.

    Positive emotion-ocused techniques are easy

    to learn and use, and appear to be highly generalizable

    among individuals o diverse cultures, age groups,

    socioeconomic status, and spiritual persuasions.

    Studies conducted in laboratory, organizational,

    clinical, and educational settings have demonstrated

    both real-time and long-term improvements in emo-

    tional well-being, perormance, and health-related

    measures with use o these techniques. Such ap-

    proaches have also been used eectively by mental

    health proessionals in the treatment o individuals

    with various aective disorders.

    We have argued that or most people, the range

    o genuine positive emotional experience is limited

    by the automaticity o historical patterns that otenoperate at a level below conscious awareness to color

    perception, eelings, and behavior. It thus requires

    conscious choice and commitment to begin to rec-

    ognize and gradually replace these maladaptive pat-

    terns with ones that are more appropriate, ecient,

    and conducive to well-being. However, because

    most people are not trained in emotional manage-

    ment skills, in practice, the experience o positive

    emotions remains largely dependent upon external

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    events and circumstances, rather than being within

    ones own conscious control. Heart-based positive

    emotion-ocused techniques thereore oer people a

    simple and eective means to consciously intervene

    to progressively bring more quality o emotional ex-

    perience to their eeling world. It is our experience

    that this process not only signicantly reduces ones

    experience o stress, but can also lead to enduring

    positive changes in ones attitudes, relationships,

    world view, and sense o sel.

    As increasing emphasis is placed on learning to

    enrich the emotional aspects o our experience, we

    anticipate that positive emotion-ocused techniques

    and intervention programs will be increasingly

    integrated in clinical, workplace, and academic set-

    tings or the enhancement o health, well-being, and

    perormance. It is our hope that such interventions

    will help people to develop greater awareness and

    understanding o their emotional responses, both

    conscious and subconscious; to progressively learn

    to direct these responses in ways that benet their

    health and well-being; and ultimately to take on a

    more proactive role in the orchestration o their

    own ulllment.

    HeartMath, Freeze-Frame, Heart Lock-In, and Cut-Thru are registeredtrademarks of the Institute of HeartMath. Freeze-Framer is a registeredtrademark of Quantum Intech, Inc.

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